English

The English curriculum at Misericordia University emphasizes the development of critical reading and writing skills as an essential preparation for professional life or graduate school. In addition, the study of literature offers the most enjoyable approach to the study of human nature, ideas, and age-old human situations and dilemmas.

Graduates from the English Department pursue a wide range of careers, including teaching (at both the secondary and college level), law, newspaper and magazine editing, web design/development, public relations, advertising, news reporting and writing, publishing, creative writing, technical writing, and script writing for media.

Key Benefits of English at Misericordia University

An emphasis on writing in all courses that prepares students for the job market or graduate school, and gives them an advantage in almost any field they may choose to enter.

A multi-disciplinary approach that links the study of literature to related fields, such as theatre, film and other media, philosophy, history, and art.

The BA to MA in English program with the University of Reading in the UK, which allows students to complete their BA and MA degrees in five years.

A secondary education certification that prepares students to teach English at the junior high/high school level, and a 100% pass rate on the National Teacher Exam.

A Writing Track for students interested in professional or creative writing, combined with practical experience through internships with local media outlets.

A highly qualified and accessible faculty, with PhDs from Columbia University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the University of Colorado, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Small class sizes in upper-level courses (capped at 15), run as seminars. Students get individual attention, both in classes and in advising on career opportunities.

“My time studying in England has given me a broader sense of the world and an opportunity to enjoy new cultures. I have learned to be a more independent researcher both academically and socially. The variety of people I have met on my journey, all with their own unique story, astounds me. Misericordia taught me about many different ways that people live, preparing me to recognize these differences and allowing me to experience these cultures with minimal confusion.”

“Paris est une fête” was this year’s theme for the International Hemingway Conference in Paris—and it sure was a moveable feast for our little group that brought Misericordia across the Atlantic for great experiences, both academic and cultural. Every moment of our time in Paris brought new and exciting things (places, people, knowledge, and most importantly, food) for myself and my friends, and we are still amazed to have had the opportunity to learn in such a breathtaking place."

The English curriculum emphasizes the development of critical reading and writing skills as an essential preparation for professional life or graduate school. In addition, the study of literature offers the most enjoyable approach to the study of human nature, ideas, and age-old human situations and dilemmas. The English faculty are highly qualified, Ph.D. trained educators from diverse content areas and backgrounds, who specialize in a broad range of literary topics and themes. As accomplished scholars, they have published impressive works in poetry, fiction/non-fiction, novels, essays, and scholarly articles, in journals. Students receive individual attention and academic advising to thrive in their studies.

What makes Misericordia’s English program stand out from all the rest:

The English Program at Misericordia offers a flexible and dynamic curriculum that allows students to pursue their interests. In addition to a traditional literature track, students in English can complete the major with a number of professional emphases. The department’s Bachelor of Arts to Master of Arts with the University of Reading in England is still the only international fast-track to a Master’s degree, and provides students the chance for advanced study of literature with the faculty of a top-tier university. The size of the English major also allows students the opportunity to complete a second major and/or multiple minors in fields ranging from History, Philosophy, Fine Arts, Religious Studies, Communications, and Business, to name a few.

Program degree options:

Bachelor of Arts in English: Major in English - Literature – Professional Writing

Bachelor of Arts to Master of Arts in English: four years Bachelor of Arts at Misericordia, then one-year Master of Arts at University of Reading, UK

Admissions Requirements

The minimum criteria for admission into the English program as a freshman student are:

Class rank in the top half of the high school graduating class and/or a cumulative 2.5 grade point average

Minimum combined SAT score of 850 for Critical Reading and Math (combined) if taken prior to March 5, 2016, or 930 if taken after March 5, 2016. In lieu of the SAT, ACT results may be presented with a minimum composite score of 18

Successful transfer applicants will typically hold a minimum collegiate grade point average of 2.0, having completed at least 15 college credits, and have a proven record of success in high school.

Please note the above listed requirements are general, and that each application is looked at thoroughly, taking into account individual grades, academic rigor, and other factors.

Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Develop critical reading skills that will allow them to approach primary and secondary sources thoughtfully, independently, and with attention to detail.

Develop writing skills that will make them competitive on the job market and prepare them for professional life or graduate school.

Develop effective research and documentation skills, including the use and evaluation of Internet sources.

Understand the development of the English language, its structure and basic elements, and linguistic theories that help to explain it.

Develop discussion and oral presentation skills that will allow them to speak effectively in front of others.

Acquire a background in English and American literature.

Become familiar with the perspectives of non-Western literature and the literature of under-represented groups in Western society.

Become familiar with different critical theories and approaches to literature.

Understand the opportunities open to English majors, and behaviors that will assist them in finding employment or entering graduate school.

The English major program goals are realized in the following student learning outcomes:

Department/Program Goal 1 Outcomes:

Students will be able to comprehend texts for their information and/or implications.

Students will be able to identify texts' genres and their implications for meaning(s).

Students will be able to evaluate texts' meaning within their specific context(s).

Students will be able to analyze texts in part or as wholes.

Students will be able to make sense with texts as blueprints for meaning.

Students will be able to engage in academic discourse about a text or texts.

Department/Program Goal 2 Outcomes:

Students will be able to establish a focus (i.e., a thesis) that is well-defined, relevant, sophisticated, and original.

Students will be able to develop complex ideas that are relevant to/support the focus/thesis.

Students will be able to analyze effectively evidence that is relevant to/supports the focus/thesis.

Students will be able to demonstrate a logical and compelling progression of ideas through effective and unified paragraphs.

Students will be able to use appropriate and varied language with fluency.

Students will be able to write virtually free of grammatical, formatting, and mechanical errors.

Department/Program Goal 3 Outcomes:

Students will be able to cite sources accurately and completely.

Students will be able to summarize sources accurately, clearly, and succinctly.

Students will be able to evaluate sources clearly and critically.

Department/Program Goal 4 Outcomes:

Students will demonstrate a knowledge of the basic features of historical and structural linguistics as they bear upon English.

Students will demonstrate a knowledge of the phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon of the English language.

Department/Program Goal 5 Outcomes:

Students will be able to organize communication skillfully and cohesively.

Students will be able to use appropriate and effective language.

Students will be able to use compelling and effective delivery.

Students will be able to use credible and varied supporting material/evidence.

Students will be able to communicate a clear, consistent, and compelling central message.

Department/Program Goal 6 Outcomes:

Students will be able to recognize the cultural movements, genres, key figures, and social/historical forces that shape the Western literary tradition.

Department/Program Goal 7 Outcomes:

Students will be able to recognize the cultural movements, genres, key figures, and social/historical forces that shape the literary traditions of non-Western society and underrepresented groups in Western society.

Department/Program Goal 8 Outcomes:

Students will be able to identify a critical lens.

Students will be able to apply a critical lens to literary texts.

Department/Program Goal 9 Outcomes:

1.Students will secure employment in a job/career relevant to their skills and background as an English major.

2.Students will be admitted to a graduate program in English or related discipline.

"At Misericordia, and especially in the English department, students are treated with care and respect, and I have formed relationships with my professors that I never thought possible at the collegiate level.

It has been a privilege to work with the English professors in a variety of settings – from classroom activities to Sigma Tau Delta events to summer Literature Camp, to name a few – and I am grateful for the ever-present support, encouragement, and guidance they continue to offer.”

~ Mary Pat BlaskiewiczClass of 2019English

"Misericordia’s English department has encouraged me to pursue my passions and has inspired me to push myself as a student. From presenting at the International Hemingway Conference in Paris to conducting independent research, our English professors continuously motivate me and support me in all of my endeavors, and I feel well prepared to attend graduate school after graduating. Studying English at Misericordia has given me invaluable connections with professors as well as finding some of my lifelong friends in my fellow English majors."

~ Kristen CapitanoClass of 2019English

"Misericordia University's English Department has provided me with a wide range of incredibly useful knowledge in both literature and culture that will undoubtedly aid in my pursuit of a Master's degree in graduate school. The professors are endlessly supportive and have always encouraged me to enhance my learning and experience in various ways such as provoking me to participate in academic conferences all over the world. I have also made some of the best friends I could ever imagine in the English department through various classes and clubs such as the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society where I serve as President."

~ Madison CardinaleClass of 2019English

“Misericordia is more than a school to me, it is a home. I have made life-long connections at Misericordia, from peers to faculty. Every member of the English Department challenged me to grow, academically and as a person, while providing the encouragement I needed to succeed. Their unfailing support has gotten me through tough new experiences at a time that can be very uncertain for many people. The knowledge I gained from Misericordia allows me to be confident in myself while pursuing a master's degree in the UK, a goal that my professors helped me to achieve.”